urbanesque.org

I seldom respond to long-comment threads on Facebook but this one hit a bit close to home considering it came from one of the candidates for Supervisor of my SF district (6). The initial post (and I believe all the subsequent comments) can be found here.

The jist of the post was regarding the City's new movement around using a sit-lie ordinance to help combat homelessness and vagrants on the street. I generally try and stay away from the topic of homelessness in SF because, well, it's pointless, dirty, volatile and trite. However, I decided to be a dumbass and provide this little rant:

I love a good housing debate but I'd WAAAAY prefer to see folks have access to stuff like, oh, you know, mental health clinics that don't take three weeks and a assertive vocabulary, cell phone and white male privilege to get into. I realize that housing is a key component of treatment adherence and providing a foundation for folks to access said services but it's become such a fucked-up tokenized albatross for this town. I've lived here my entire life and seen PC "activists" come and go; create a program here and there.

I'd find it insanely refreshing to see a holistic approach to well being of San Franciscans, especially with the huge lack of jobs increasing the size of those of us who are relying on public services such as Healthy SF, MUNI, the Community Health Network. Housing (and homelessness) I feel are partly the byproduct of these other services' failures.

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Last night a gay couple were physically thrown out of a wine bar on Geary St. called Internos. They were called fagots and hustled out of the bar. Apparently, all they were doing was hugging and looking into each others eyes (how romantic!) and grabbing a drink before Showgirls at Midnight Mass.

Tonight, a few queens are pulling together a KISS-IN at 9pm at Internos Wine Bar. Hit up Anna Conda for more details.

I find this sad and surely goes against my previously held belief that there is no such thing as a truly straight bar in San Francisco. Even more upsetting to me is that this happened in my childhood neighborhood. Go figure.... I own a "The Richmond" t-shirt and wear it proudly as a local of the diverse and generally delightfully friendly neighborhood. This makes me want to somehow mark it up to denote the hate that apparently lies beneath the carpet of summer fog and good Russian & Chinese food.

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This is the view from my current location. I've enjoyed a fantastic day at the beach. Met wonderful new friends (check out www.velocet.us). Had a hard but rewarding bike ride. And now enjoying good sake on a nice, shady bench watching the folks on the sidewalk and the busses bads by while waiting for my sushi order. There's a faint smell of pot and a great faint mellow house beat coming from someone's apartment.

I live in a small SF neighborhood that is often considered a suburb of the "real" City, yet I can't think of any more urban experience than this.

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... in San Francisco

→ 'Deep's Trikesaurus

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These were on sale at the top of the tower at the DeYoung museum. Michael models one of the "classic" designs.

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Ugh. Now it's foggy AND cold. A view from the house. All I wanted to do today was sit on the beach and get some sun. Is that too much to ask?
 

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It's getting nice and warm outside. But the fog keeps coming in and out in about 30 minute intervals. WTF? I'm assuming it's warming up in the bay/valley faster than it is out here... I hope our little neighborhood can pick up the pace!
 
→ Fog Forecast
→ Fog in San Francisco!

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